my microcosm

My Brain Hurts, Vol 2

Lee Baillie crafts a Degrassi-style teenage soap opera about queer punks in New York City! Our story resumes with Joey in a coma after an incident of queer bashing and Kate and Desi's relationship on the rocks. Desi's really religious, and Kate's really not, and they struggle to find a middle ground. The boys get caught smoking and uh, other things in the boys room, Kate getting in awkward situations with a hate crime perpetrator at her internship job, and much much more! Will queer teenage romance succeed? Will our heroes prevail over high school principals, skinheads, and a homophobic society?

Comments/Reviews

Optical Sloth7/30/2010

"No excuse in the world not to check it out…"

Midnight Fiction7/29/2010

"My Brain Hurts is a lingering snapshot of a pivotal period in her character's lives. She ends their stories not with definitive answers, but with a reasonable hope that they will move on and find better lives for themselves. In fact, she adds a "where are they now" epilogue that brings a greater sense of closure (and relief) to the saga.

The second bonus feature of the book is an extras section with original character sketches, script pages, and a couple pages worth of false starts that were abandoned."

Rebellion Pit7/23/2010

"This two book series is about some gay New York punks that are staying true to themselves. They party, go to shows, drink, create mischief and mayhem, and get into trouble. It’s an amazing story that has a heart felt satisfaction. It's a story for the queers, I'ts a story for the punks, It's a story for the outcast, and its a story that every one should cherish. Don't get me wrong this book is not just about being gay. I believe it has a deeper meaning to it. i think it says " Life has it's ups and downs but you got to make you own path to the point ware you're happy."

Stumptown Trade Review6/24/2010

I’m glad I took a chance with My Brain Hurts. Despite this is volume two of the story, I found I was able to slip in easily and readily find my way. Even though I was unclear from time to time of the particulars of some relationships, the storytelling was clear enough to pull me through and catch me up to speed. While the art was not polished, it was serviceable. There is an epilogue of sorts in the back of the book, and it is there that Baillie shows that she has some real artistic chops. If she were to apply that kind of time and effort to the rest of the comic, this would be a real gem! As it stands, this comic is a testament to the experience of being young and gay in a world that is not quite ready for you. In addition, despite the fact that the story has ended, and this one volume is a satisfying reading experience, I have gone ahead and ordered the first volume so I can have the complete story. This is a very good comic that tells a story that is, unfortunately, probably all too common and will likely look very familiar to some readers.

Stumptown Trade Review6/2/2010

"This is a very good comic that tells a story that is, unfortunately, probably all too common and will likely look very familiar to some readers."

Poopsheet2/27/2010

"MY BRAIN HURTS is a fine first major work for a cartoonist, ambitious in its emotional scope and resonant in its themes."

410Media2/20/2010

"What I like about My Brain Hurts is that it doesn't try too hard. Liz Baillie focuses on the small stories of the ordinary lives of these characters. She does not try to thrust them into some larger than life story. It works very well for her."

Gay Comics List1/30/2010

"Liz Baillie's art has come a long way since the beginning of the series, which took her six years to complete. It now presents fully-realized characters and backgrounds, with an expressiveness that a lot of more seasoned cartoonists might envy her."

Inkstuds1/30/2010

"Liz Baillie is representing comix DIY esthetic. Her collection, My Brain Hurts is a great trip into teen social issues. She creates some fine character filled with realistic issues on relatable terms. I highly recommend checking out her stuff, the collection is so cheap, you can’t pass it up."

NeuFutur Magazine1/30/2010

"My Brain Hurts is a tremendously interesting comic that largely does not require one having the first volume to enjoy. Liz Baillie, the creator, has created an overwhelming interesting set of individuals that are linked together in a timeless story (despite some hints – such as Midnight Dragon –being placed in the narrative). The artistic style is somewhat similar to Carrie McN’s Assassin and the Whiner and Zero Content (by Fly), while the different segments of this volume break the action quite well. Aside from the narrative itself, there are a few bonus features that further flesh out the story. This means that there is a “where are they now” type of closing, where grown-up drawings of each featured member are accompanied by a paragraph on what they are doing, while other pieces (such as the script, draft drawings, and the like) really create a fullness to this volume that will bring readers back for more. While the first volume of My Brain Hurts is not essential to properly understand the narrative at the beginning of this volume, purchasing the former will increase enjoyment of the latter. While some fans of books and zine narratives may shy away from anything in a comic format, I feel that Baillie’s work here is a great bridge between the styles."